Latest news with #AymanOdeh
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Double standards, and let's band together to save Southside FM and build a better South Africa
Such double standards applied There are moves afoot to impeach Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset known for his principled stands against what Israel is doing in Gaza. Military theorist Carl von Clausewitz said: 'War is the continuation of politics by other means.' It is the obverse vis-a-vis Israel's Knesset, for their parliamentary duties have become the perilous as typically the Jewish lawmakers like the apartheid SA lawmakers acted in a similar fashion, with Helen Suzman one of the few active opponents Prime Minister BJ Vorster's war against anyone who opposed his government. And so in the Knesset, being an opponent to apartheid has led to the continuation of war by other means. What was Odeh's crime? In January 2025, soon after the two-month Gaza ceasefire came into effect, he reportedly tweeted that: 'I am happy about the release of the (Israeli) hostages and (Palestinian)prisoners. From here, both peoples (sic) must be freed from the yoke of the occupation. We were all born free.' Scant attention was paid by the 'only democracy in the Middle East', ignoring the parliamentary legal adviser that impeachment was illegal. Nevertheless, it carried on. It looks like the mask of democracy has slipped as (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) Bibi's minions mimic their Arab cousins (Arabs and Jews bear a similar bloodline). The next move – Supreme Court action? | Saber Ahmed Jazbhay Newlands Band together save Tamil radio station Southside FM faces financial crisis; Icasa gives 3 month ultimatum', highlights a regrettable reality. The Chatsworth community radio station is facing a critical financial crisis that threatens its very existence. This institution has been a cornerstone of community life, providing a platform for local voices. The South Indian community needs to fully support Southside FM. Let's rally together to save our station. Tamil culture has been an important characteristic that embodies our rich cultural heritage. We need your (community) support to preserve our culture for future generations. It's time for a major shake-up and a new chapter. Maybe it's time for the station to seek more additional vibrant board members, the likes of Morgan and Darsen Nadasen, Merebank Tamil School Society, and Professor Gan Moodley to play a crucial role in shaping the station's future. If elected it will have people making significant contributions towards reaffirming Tamil values, as this is important so it can be passed down to the next generation. Let's make it happen. We owe it to ourselves, our community, and future generations to preserve this vital institution. The fate of our radio station reflects our community's values. We need to act now to ensure that Southside FM continues to thrive. It is unfortunate that staff are volunteering. Hats off to the presenters Thashriya Naidoo, Yogambal Singaram, Lalitha Gurukkal, Daeshni Pather, and not forgetting Station Manager Tansen Nepaul and many others who work tirelessly on a voluntary basis, sacrificing their time, energy, and expertise – you will be richly blessed. It is also unfair for these presenters not to be paid. Something has to be done. I love the quote by Elizabeth Andrew that so aptly expresses puts their devotion into context: 'Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart'. | Dhayalan Moodley Mobeni Heights Let's build on this for the good of SA Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube's announcement of the Safe Schools Programme is a welcome sign of urgency and intent. School safety is a foundational issue – learners cannot thrive in classrooms where violence, fear or instability are the norm. For too long, South Africa's education debate has been weighed down by basic questions of safety, sanitation, infrastructure and attendance. This programme is an important step forward, but let us be clear: Safety is only the beginning, not the end goal. The real crisis in education is not just about safety, but about outcomes – and what those outcomes mean for the future of our economy. We are in the grip of a long-term unemployment crisis, especially among the youth. And while government and civil society focus on interventions to stimulate job creation, too often they ignore the truth: Jobs don't just appear – they are built by entrepreneurs. The question is whether our education system is producing the kinds of learners who will go on to create businesses, innovate products, and grow industries. Right now the answer is no. If we truly want to prepare learners for life beyond the classroom, we must go beyond ensuring safety. We must commit to building schools that nurture entrepreneurial thinking, problem-solving, curiosity and digital fluency, because that's where job creation really begins – not in a policy, but in a classroom that gives every child the confidence and tools to dream big and build boldly. Gwarube has opened the door, now let's walk through it and transform our schools from safe zones into launch pads for a thriving business ecosystem in South Africa. | Nicole Mirkin CEO at Omnia Strategic Counsel & Communications Digging an even deeper hole for itself Israel will only be digging a deeper hole for itself internationally if it proceeds with a plan outlined by its Defence Minister Israel Katz to eventually forcibly relocate the entire Palestinian population to a 'humanitarian city' on the ruins of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, from where they will be unable to leave once relocated. | Eric Palm Gympie, Australia Have we truly lose our critical thinking? If you can create a global crisis, you can promote a global solution, right? Successful and famous businessmen and philanthropists such as Bill Gates, George Soros and Klaus Schwab are masters of making us believe that if we do not agree with them or go along with their sick ideas for a better future, we are the problem. Think of the 2020 Covid Pandemic, so-called global warming and other potentially dangerous, but highly fabricated, man-made dilemmas, such as water or food shortages. They were all designed to make you believe that if we don't do something quickly, or if don't trust the global elites and unelected oligarchs, something terrible will happen if we do not heed their calls. Meanwhile, the opposite is true, but any attempt to discredit these obscenely rich know-it-alls, is drowned out or deemed to be 'misinformation/disinformation. When you hear woke doomsday prophets, such as Greta Thunberg spew garbage about the planet busy dying from too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Bill Gates warning us of the 'next global pandemic, or Klaus Schwab – whose brainchild is the World Economic Forum – tells you that you will 'own nothing and be happy', you know that its time to start asking some serious questions. How did these unelected bullies get so wealthy, influential and arrogant, and why do we listen to them? When the World Economic Forum suggests that we should start eating crickets and bugs instead of meat, due to rising carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere, are we honestly going to believe this rubbish? It's scary that so many people believe these lies and spend 99% of their lives with their heads buried deep in the sand. Can we not think for ourselves anymore? Have we lost the ability to think critically? A big threat to our privacy is the rise of CBDC's, or Central Bank Digital Currencies, and digital ID. Could you imagine the immense power that would be given to any government if we allow them to track our every move and transaction. This is already happening in some parts of the world, such as Scotland and Australia and other first-world countries. | L Oosthuizen Durban DAILY NEWS
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Israeli parliament continues to assault its own citizens' civil rights
There has been no shortage of profoundly disturbing, objectionable, and arguably genocidal quotes from senior Israeli politicians over the past 20 months of war on Gaza. Bezalel Smotrich, the minister of finance: 'Nobody will let us cause two million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral.' Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel: 'It's an entire nation out there [in Gaza] that is responsible. This rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved, it's absolutely not true.' Yoav Galant, the minister of defence: 'There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.' But it is the following social media post by Ayman Odeh, leader of the left-wing and predominantly Arab, Hadash party, that earned the wrath and censure of his fellow Knesset (Israeli parliament) members and, with it, possible expulsion from the Knesset itself. 'I'm happy to see the [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners released … next we must free both peoples from the burden of the occupation. We were all born free … Gaza will win.' Equating hostages and prisoners and the cryptic 'Gaza will win' seemingly sealed Odeh's fate. Ayman Odeh is an Israeli-Palestinian parliamentarian. There was no threatened expulsion of Jewish Ayre Deri, the leader of a Religious-Orthodox party, following his controversial and frankly bizarre statement that the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2003, 'saved the nation of Israel' — implying somehow the murder of 1,200 Israelis indirectly saved Israel from Iranian nuclear Armageddon. Odeh is lionised in Israeli leftist political circles and was once likened to the Martin Luther King of Israeli politics in a long interview with The New Yorker magazine. His status and threatened expulsion explains why the left-leaning Haaretz led on the story with the following headline: 'Outrageous Abuse: Ousting Ayman Odeh From Knesset Is a Declaration of War on Arabs in Israel.' The vote in the Knesset to initiate Odeh's expulsion, and in particular the support of the main opposition centrist party, represents a dark moment for Israeli democracy. A full vote of the Knesset is required to uphold the recommendation. Israeli democracy. The combination of those two short words has, of course, long been bitterly contested. This is a country with free and fair elections, but where more than two million Palestinians live under occupation in the West Bank in a de facto one-state without the right to vote in the state that controls their lives. This is a country with a robust and free press, where mainstream television channels refuse to show the reality of the war crimes committed in Gaza. This is a country of all its citizens, whose parliament passed the 2018 Nation-State Law codifying the long-standing privileges of its Jewish citizens. It is easy, of course, to find quotes to demonise right-wing Israeli politicians, in part because there is no shortage of goons, loons, cartoonish villains, and downright nasty political characters in Israeli politics. The Likud parliamentarian Tally Gotliv ticks many boxes. The far-right Likud ministers Maya Golan and Amichai Chikli recently gave unsettling and frankly bizarre interviews to English television presenter Piers Morgan. The famed documentarist Louis Theroux's film on far-right settlers gave oxygen to the infamous and chilling Daniella Weiss. All the above make 'great' television — performative, purposely provocative. They all personify the Israeli political characters; arguably caricatures we all love to hate. Notwithstanding the fact they are all widely detested and ridiculed in Israel itself, they all arguably bolster non-Israeli prejudices of Israelis. It is the views of ordinary Israelis, middle-of-the-road voters, centrists, secular-suburban, however one wishes to define or label them, that perhaps better reveal the soul of Israel. They are, by definition, everywhere, but also by inclination less willing to talk or perform. Their views on occasion can be hopeful, inspiring even, at other times bleak, too often revealing a chilling indifference to the horror in Gaza. With this in mind, the Irish Examiner took to the streets of Tel Aviv to ask residents their views on the expulsion of Odeh, the most well-known and most well-respected Israeli-Palestinian member of parliament. All those I spoke to identified as leftist voters, all were critics of Netanyahu and the far-right government. All, however, expressed either indifference or claimed not to know anything about the latest assault on Palestinian rights. Yehonatan, 38, simply shrugged before admitting: 'I didn't even know about it.' Udi, 34, was also non-committal: 'Wow, I'm not that up to speed on that whole Ayman Odeh thing, so I really don't have an opinion.' Yael, 44, was equally phlegmatic in her response: 'Well, honestly, I didn't hear about it. So, I don't know what to say'. Maya, 52, confessed she didn't 'know the details well, but it feels like another step towards the elimination of Israeli democracy'. It seems not too many Tel Avivians are either informed or much bothered by the threatened expulsion, on spurious grounds, from the Knesset of Israel's most prominent Israeli-Arab parliamentarian. But perhaps, Tel Avivians are simply exhausted by the government's year-long assault on Israeli civil rights. This includes repeated attempts to dismantle the independence of the Supreme Court, advancing legislation designed to silence human rights groups, and threats to abolish the public broadcasting authority. The Irish Examiner spoke with Odeh over the weekend. I specifically asked him if he was concerned about the apparent indifference of centre-left voters on the streets of Tel Aviv, on this latest assault on Israeli democracy and freedom of speech? 'I don't think the entire public is indifferent,' he said. 'If you looked at my phone, you'd find thousands of messages — from friends, supporters, many of them Jewish — expressing solidarity and support, fighting alongside us for the same values: Peace, equality, democracy.' I asked him if had he a specific message for Irish readers? 'Of course. I want to address the Irish people — a people with a history of struggle for independence, equality, and justice. 'We, the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and the Palestinian people as a whole, are not fighting just for ourselves — we are fighting for a shared future, for peace, for equality, and for an end to this war and the occupation. Today they're trying to expel me — tomorrow they'll try to silence anyone who dares to resist. With those words in mind and the seeming indifference I found on the streets of Tel Aviv to the disintegration of Israeli democracy, it is neither hyperbole nor inappropriate to paraphrase the well-known quote from German pastor Martin Niemöller. 'First, they came for the Arabs, and I did not speak out — because I was not an Arab. Then they came for the leftists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a leftist. Then they came for the journalists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a journalist, Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.' Paul Kearns is a freelance journalist living in Tel Aviv Read More 34 Palestinians and Israeli soldier killed in Gaza
The National
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
'Regime coup': Palestinian-Israeli politician fights expulsion push
A prominent Palestinian-Israeli politician is on the brink of expulsion from parliament over comments on a hostage deal with Hamas, raising new fears about freedom of expression in wartime Israel. An Israeli parliamentary committee voted to advance the impeachment of Ayman Odeh, leader of the majority Israeli-Arab Hadash Ta'al party. He will now face a vote in front of the entire Knesset after its House Committee voted 14 to 2 to expel him on Monday. The case relates to a January social media post in which Mr Odeh wrote: 'Happy about the release of hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners. From here, both peoples need to be freed from the burden of the occupation; we were born free.' Some politicians were outraged that Mr Odeh celebrated the freeing of Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the deal. The process to impeach Mr Odeh began after a politician from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's Likud party filed a request. Mr Odeh said Israel's opposition 'crossed a red line' by voting against him instead of fighting Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition. 'Some of [the opposition] hate us more than they love democracy. This is not an opposition – it's the coalition in disguise,' Mr Odeh added. During a hearing on the matter, Likud MP Osher Shekalim said Mr Odeh would 'face a firing squad in any other country'. The vote for impeachment is the latest step taken against Israelis who have advocated for Palestinians since the October 7 attacks by Hamas. This has included legal trouble for academics and journalists, punitive measures taken against left-wing politicians and heavy-handed policing of anti-war demonstrations. Although most Israelis continue to support a hostage agreement, the release of Palestinians in exchanges, many of whom are held on security charges, is deeply controversial, particularly in right-wing circles. Israeli politician Sami Abou Shehadeh slammed the impeachment decision, writing on X that 'there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of freedom of expression' in Israel. 'In the current Knesset, the majority's perception of freedom of expression exists only to praise the criminal Netanyahu or to call for the expansion of the occupation, starvation, war crimes and destruction,' he added. Court chaos Mr Odeh stepped up his criticism of the Israeli political class on Tuesday, as the country was gripped by a chaotic court hearing on the appointment of a new head of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal intelligence agency. The judge overseeing the hearing was forced to halt proceedings following a number of interruptions, including some by ministers from Mr Netanyahu's party. Mr Netanyahu's attempts to appoint a new director of the agency are controversial and critics say they are being carried out improperly. The hearing relates to two petitions challenging the Israeli attorney general's intervention in the case. Mr Odeh said the scenes in the courtroom were part of the 'same fascist and anti-democratic pattern [repeating] itself'. 'Did you think the despicable impeachment process against me was isolated? This is exactly what a regime coup looks like, and this time, it's on steroids. Yesterday it was me. Today it's the court. And tomorrow?'
Asharq Al-Awsat
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Knesset Committee Moves to Oust Arab Lawmaker Ayman Odeh
Hundreds of Jewish and Arab citizens protested outside the Israeli Knesset on Monday as the parliamentary committee responsible for internal affairs voted to remove Ayman Odeh, leader of the Arab Joint List, from his Knesset seat. The decision followed Odeh's calls to halt the aggressive war on Gaza, remarks the committee deemed as endorsing Palestinian terrorism against Israel. It also came after a tense and lengthy session that nearly erupted into a physical altercation between Knesset member Ofer Cassif, a close ally of Odeh within the Arab Joint List, and extremist Likud lawmaker Nesim Fatouri. The committee chairman, Ofir Katz, was forced to suspend the meeting temporarily before it resumed. The motion received support not only from coalition lawmakers but also from members of three opposition parties: Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid, Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu representing Russian Jews, and Benny Gantz's National Unity Party. The vote ended with 14 out of 25 committee members backing Odeh's removal. The only Jewish party to abstain was the Democratic Party, led by Yair Golan, who attended the session and criticized the supporters of the move. Addressing the committee, Golan said: 'Ayman Odeh has announced he will not run for the next Knesset, so your goal is not to purify the parliament but to create a media storm to please the far-right.' Under Knesset procedures, the next step is for the parliamentary committee's decision to be presented to the full Knesset for a vote. To pass, the motion requires the support of at least 90 lawmakers, regardless of how many members are present during the vote. If approved, the decision will take effect, though Odeh can still appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the Knesset's ruling. The move to oust Odeh dates back five months, after he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account following the first stage of a prisoner exchange: 'I am glad for the release of the captives. Now we must free both peoples from occupation. Because we were all born free.' In response, lawmaker Avichai Boaron gathered signatures from 70 Knesset members calling for Odeh's removal, accusing him of equating 'terrorists with the Jewish victims of the October 7 massacre.' Odeh was recently sanctioned by the Knesset's Ethics and Conduct Committee with a two-week suspension from plenary sessions after accusing Israel of committing massacres and starving the Gaza Strip. During his suspension, Odeh's salary was cut by half. A similar penalty was imposed on fellow Joint List member Aida Touma-Sliman, who was suspended for three days over similar remarks criticizing Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Middle East Eye
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel's Knesset votes to impeach Palestinian lawmaker Ayman Odeh
Israel's Knesset House Committee voted to advance the impeachment of prominent lawmaker Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, on Monday, over comments he made earlier this year, which were perceived as being pro-Palestinian and against the war in Gaza. Lawmakers from both the ruling coalition and opposition Yesh Atid and National Unity parties voted 14-2 in favour of impeachment, while two Knesset members from the Palestinian Ra'am and Ta'al parties opposed the move. Odeh had earned the scorn of several Israeli lawmakers earlier this year when he welcomed a long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. "I am happy about the release of the hostages and prisoners. From here, both peoples must be freed from the yoke of the occupation. We were all born free," Odeh wrote on 19 January after Hamas released three Israeli women after 471 days in captivity.
